Basics

Learn More

See, Play and Learn

Research

Resources

For You

Summary

Health fraud involves selling drugs, devices, foods, or cosmetics that have not been proven effective. Keep in mind - if it sounds too good to be true, it's probably a scam. At best, these scams don't work. At worst, they're dangerous. They also waste money, and they might keep you from getting the treatment you really need.

Health fraud scams can be found everywhere, promising help for many common health issues, including weight loss, memory loss, sexual performance, and joint pain. They target people with serious conditions like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, arthritis, Alzheimer's, and many more.

To protect yourself, recognize the red flags such as:

Miracle cure

Quick fix

Ancient remedy

Secret ingredient

Scientific breakthrough

Before taking an unproven or little known treatment, talk to a doctor or health care professional - especially when taking prescription drugs.

Topic Image

MedlinePlus Email Updates

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

Disclaimers

MedlinePlus links to health information from the National Institutes of Health and other federal government agencies. MedlinePlus also links to health information from non-government Web sites. See our disclaimer about external links and our quality guidelines.